West Oahu hosts undergraduate philosophy conference

Students from UH West Oʻahu, UH Mānoa and Hawaii Pacific University participated in the Third Annual Hawaiʻi Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at UH West Oʻahu. (Photo courtesy UH West Oʻahu)

The University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu recently hosted the Third Annual Hawaiʻi Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at its campus in Kapolei. Undergraduate students from colleges across the state presented papers on philosophical topics.

UH West Oʻahu’s Dexsie Marcos took home the Best Discussant award for her comments on a fellow student’s paper titled “Toys and Society.”

The award for Best Paper went to John-Robert Trask Watson of UH Mānoa for his paper titled “Forgiveness in Action is Lovely,” and Best Presentation was awarded to UH Mānoa’s Gregory K. Joseph II for his paper “John Dewey and Max Stirner on Irresponsible Utterances: Obdurate Libertarianism and Strongly Supervening Individualism.”

All presentations were judged on content, clarity and style.

“The Hawaiʻi Undergraduate Philosophy Conference provides a great platform for local undergraduates to share their research with their peers and the general public,” said UH West Oʻahu Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy Conference Coordinator Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee.

The conference was sponsored by UH West Oʻahu, UH Mānoa and Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

UH West Oʻahu Distinguished Visiting Scholar Ashby Butnor of Metropolitan State University of Denver gave the keynote address. Butnor earned her doctorate in comparative philosophy and graduate certificate in advanced feminist studies at UH Mānoa. Her recent scholarship focuses on embodied ethical skill and the cultivation of moral perception and action through bodily training.